1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a multilayered food product having an inner core of frozen novelty such as ice cream and multiple outer layers which can be deep-fried without adversely affecting the frozen core. More particularly, this invention pertains to a food product as described above which can be prepared and stored in its frozen state for transport to geographically dispersed user locations for subsequent cooking and consumption.
2. Prior Art
The novelty of contrast found in a deep-fried ball of ice cream has tempted the human appetite for many years. This unusual dessert was perhaps an outgrowth of earlier frozen desserts which were encased in a pastry shell. U.S. Pat. No. 1,445,187; 1,558,940; 1,813,099; and 2,404,177 are representative of early combinations of ice cream desserts enclosed in an outer coating or shell. The cooking stage was typically in an oven which subjected the exterior covering to intense, dry heat. Although the product offered the contrasting frozen novelty and hot crust, the product was commerically impractical because it was expensive to make, difficult to store and unsatisfactory in quality.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,188 illustrates the adaption of this novelty to deep frying procedures. This disclosure presents a commercial attempt to prepare an uncooked form of fried ice cream similar to that prepared from original ingredients in restaurants. The 188 patent first involves formation of an exterior layer of dough which will later be formed around the ice cream core. One side of this dough layer is coated with a material that provides an insulative layer and protective backing against the ice cream. The actual formation of the combined ice cream core and enclosing dough shell is accomplished by draping or wrapping the multilayered sheet of dough material around the core of ice cream. The outer layer of dough can then be subjected to the hot oil for momentary cooking without destroying the enclosed ice cream. The protective coating also imposes a barrier to absorption of liquid from the ice cream into the surrounding dough before, during and after cooking. It is significant to note that the 188 patent does not teach the formation of the multilayered dough material at the surface of the ice cream core. Instead, the composite dough and insulative layer is prepared separate from the ice cream and is then physically compressed against the core.
In connection with prior art attempts to prepare the desired novelty dessert various difficulties have impeded commercialization into mass market areas such as restaurants and food chain stores. Improper material selections, unaccepable moisture transfer, excessive processing requirements, and difficulty with storage have continued to discourage mass production. Generally, the uncooked product was simply not well suited for prolonged storage and transport which is necessary for mass marketing. With respect to such desserts prepared in deep fat fryers, excessive loss of fines into the hot oil added further cost to an already expensive procedure because of food processing requirements. Furthermore, oil absorption into the batter coating during cooking, as well as other factors previously mentioned, have affected the flaver and texture of the final fried, frozen dessert. As a consequence, the availability of such novelties as "fried ice cream" has been commercially limited to restaurants which prepare the desserts inhouse. Even methods for inhouse preparations have been accompanied with heavy loss of fines in the cooking oil and in separation of the dough coating from the ice cream, as well as lack of preferred insulative barrier between the coating and ice cream.